Talking To Bugs
by Mika Casey
Summary: Shino and Hinata. Quite fluffy. Constructive criticism would be much loved!


**Disclaimer** - I do now own Hinata, Naruto, Shino, or Kiba. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Author's Note** - Warning; ShinoHina fluff. Judge the writing, not the pairing. Thanks for reading!

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As the golden sun slowly rose on a cloudy Saturday morning, Hyuuga Hinata knew one thing for certain.

Uzumaki Naruto hated her.

She could tell by the look of disgust in his eyes as she bared her emotions to him, the way he stepped back as he tried to escape her feelings. She had felt her heart shatter into a thousand pieces as she saw his eyes say; _How pathetic_.

As she walked, Hinata didn't pay attention to where she was going. She just had to get away from her rejection. From her mistake. From Naruto.

Tears slowly leaked out of her eyes, blurring her vision. She trekked on, burdened by a heavy heart. A black hole opened in her, threatening to swallow her from the inside out.

_All I have to do is run._

She got to the Team 8 training grounds. The tall, pale brown oak trees made a perfect circle around a meadow. There was a training course on one half, made out of wood and ropes. The sun was shrouded behind the tall trees, and shadows were being cast throughout the clearing. The smell of sap filled her nostrils, sweet like maple syrup. The air nipped at her peachy skin, making goosebumps form on her arms. She shivered involuntarily, though whether it was from her wretched thoughts or the temperature, she did not know.

She sat in the ragged green grass. It was moist with morning dew, and she ran through it with her fingers. Lifting her hand up, she observed a tiny beetle that clung to her fingertip. It sat there, waving its tiny antennae at her.

"Hello, Bug-san..." She began to speak to the bug. Then, a knowing smile graced her face.

She knew that kikaichuu.

He had to be there.

"I know you're there!" She called out, without looking up, choking on her own voice. She had spoken quietly, since her throat was sore from crying, so she figured he hadn't heard her. Opening her mouth to speak again, she was interrupted by a voice that sounded from behind her.

"Hinata-chan?" The sound of his voice was muffled slightly, like he was speaking into cloth. She could feel the words dancing on her ears like music. From the sound of it, he was right behind her.

The raven-haired girl stood, spinning quickly to face him. The boy was standing two feet behind her. She looked up at him, for he was about a head taller than her, and she didn't speak because she was too embarassed to say anything. He stood as still as a statue, face angled down towards her. She had no idea if he was truly looking at her, because his sunglasses completely covered his eyes.

He spoke again, keeping his voice to barely a whisper. "Anybody would think you were crazy, talking to bugs." He then laughed softly.

Her eyes widened.

He never laughed.

Hinata burned to know what was behing the circular shades on his face. Her sadness was forgotten briefly as she reached up with a delicate hand to pull them away from his eyes.

Hinata breathed in sharply. His eyes were a such a dark brown, they could be considered black. They were the most expressive eyes she had ever encountered. She saw anger, sorrow, and love surging in their depths.

She knew why he wore sunglasses.

His eyes were windows to his soul.

(Later, Shino-kun explained that the Aburame's eyes and skin were very sensitive to sunlight. The kikaichuu under his skin had to live in cooler temeratures, and overheating caused them to squirm in a matter that was uncomfortable to their host.)

"Shino-kun..." She whispered.

"What did Naruto do to you?" He asked her. His face seemed expressionless. She didn't know that his eyes were ablaze with anger at the orange-jumpsuited boy. What kind of jerk would make sweet, gentle Hinata cry? As soon as the Aburame boy got his hands on that loud-mouth...

She didn't answer. She was busy detecting the smell of mint coming off him and gazing at the skin on his face. It was so pale.

She wanted to touch it.

"Hn." She almost purred, not registering that his eyes flashed fear as she reached for his collar.

"Hinata-chan, you shouldn't do that." He warned her. He didn't want her to see what was under his collar. He didn't want her to see what was under his skin.

Her eyes snapped away from his collar and up to his face. His eyes danced as she looked into them, and she could see his thoughts.

_I'm a monster_. He loathed himself. She could see it in his eyes.

And he was scared.

_What could he possibly be afraid of?_ She asked herself silently. Shino was the strongest one on Team 8. He always supported her and Kiba, emotionally when they had a bad day, and physically in battle. He was like a tree; she always knew he was there for her to back up against and draw stability from. She leaned in closer, and she saw the fear in his eyes grow.

"Do I frighten you, Shino-kun?" She asked, drawing herself back. Her eyes brimmed with hurt and a hint of curiosity.

He shook his head slowly. She could read the emotions in his eyes like paper on a scroll at that moment.

He was afraid of having someone ripped suddenly away from his life. He wanted to be close to her, but he was afraid of hurting her. There was a hint of self loathing, spawned from the misunderstanding of others. And his eyes were softly beaming with a tender love for the lavender-eyed girl before him.

Shino loved her.

Hinata stepped back towards him. She cupped his chin with her palm. His eyes were brilliant, yet dark, spheres expressing the purest love she had ever seen.

"Shino-kun..." She muttered softly, tracing his cheekbone with her fingers. He shied away from her touch, his instincts telling him to run. The kikaichuu under his skin buzzed softly, disturbed by the warmth he was generating while his heartbeat quickened. His eyes widened slightly, suprised at Hinata's open affection.

He couldn't take it anymore.

Reaching up with his hands, he rested his fingers on her face. She just looked into his night-colored eyes with hers, the beautiful color of mist. Her eyes fluttered closed.

Shino pulled her into a hug, sheltering her from the rest of the world. He was her protector, and he had known that from the day he was assigned to the team with her. She had always had a special place in his heart, and always would. No matter what happened between them. No matter what his raging hormones wanted, no matter what anybody else said.

Then, Hinata did the unthinkable. Re-opening her eyes, she reached up and unbuttoned his collar. This exposed his pale pink lips. This time, he closed his own eyes. He shook a little, feeling a little invaded at first. But he stayed still. He ignored his mind that was telling him to run.

She leaned in. He went rigid, muscles refusing to move.

Their lips met.

It was like he was being struck by lightning, hit by a boulder, and falling from thousands of feet in the air. All at the same time. A current of warmth moved from his face and spread throughout his body, tickling his nose and the tips of his toes.

And with that, his insecureties melted.

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close to him, kissing her back. He craved the feeling of her lips on his. They were softer than the petals of a rose.

She pulled away.

He almost fainted in her arms.

She blinked and blushed a light shade of pink. She smiled slightly, the dimples in her cheeks faintly showing on her flawless peach skin.

She noticed another thought clearly projected from his eyes. _I love you_.

Her smile grew, illuminating her face. Her beauty practically blew him away.

He blushed to the shade of an apple. He knew she had heard that thought. But he couldn't look away from her foggy purple irises. He blinked self-conciously, dark eyes shining with wonder.

"I didn't know you blushed, Shino-kun!" Hinata teased him lightly, her voice like a lullaby.

Shino didn't have time for teasing. He had more important matters to tend to. "Hinata-chan..." He whispered. He felt so exposed, so emotionally naked when he was with her. All his defenses were gone, and she was accepting him for who he was. "I might not be what you want." He told her. _I can't express my emotions freely like others_...His eyes added.

Hinata brushed her fingertip across his lips. "Shino-kun, you express your emotions beautifully. Just because you can't show them all the time doesn't mean you don't feel."

The faintest trace of a smile lingered on his lips, his eyes glowing. _You make me happy_.

Hinata spoke quietly, like a slight breeze that brushed over his ears. "And you make me happy. You've always been close to my heart, and you always will be."

_My love for you shines like a thousand fireflies_. He pulled her in close to his chest and holding her.

His comrade. His best friend. His Hinata.

And now, his love.


End file.
